Off Piste. President s Piece Membership Subscriptions. October Newsletter Deadline C A N B E R R A C R O S S C O U N T R Y S K I C L U B, I N C

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1 C A N B E R R A C R O S S C O U N T R Y S K I C L U B, I N C Off Piste S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T : AGM 27 August , I S S U E 5 President s Piece 4 T H S E P T E M B E R Ski Tour Program Pages I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Tour Report 3 Four Mile Hut and Elaine Mine Ski Touring in 6 in New Zealand Ski and snow 10 photos Tour Report 13 The Paralyser Circuit Ski Tour 17 Program Tour Report 18 Long Plain Club Committee Contacts 21 Social Club 22 Meetings 2017 CCCSC 23 Membership Form It s the first week of spring and the snow just keeps on coming. Heavy falls are forecast for most of this week, clearing by the weekend. It is shaping up to be the best spring skiing in many years. The club will continue to put on tours well into November (or perhaps even December). The Nordic trails at Perisher have a full cover and are being regularly groomed, the northern end of the park is skiable from Selwyn and the Main Range will be covered for many months to come. August is always a big month for the club. We ran the Kosciuszko Tour ski race on 19 August. It was a fantastic day with good weather, great tracks and enthusiastic skiers and volunteers. Congratulations to Rowan Christie in his first time running this event. He even managed to get the elusive NSW Roads and Maritime Road Occupancy permit. A full report and results will follow. Special thanks to the dedicated team of club volunteers who made the day a success. Ten or so members then headed to Victoria for a week of skiing around Falls Creek, Hotham and Mt Buffalo, cumulating in the Kangaroo Hoppet ski race on 26 August. By all accounts, this year had excellent snow and weather, allowing the group Happy crowd at the Perisher XC ski week coffee tour #1-8 Aug 17. Photo: Paul Room 2017 Membership Subscriptions Membership Subscriptions for the 2017 season are now due, and can be paid on Register Now, via the Club website, or via the form on page 23. October Newsletter Deadline Deadline for articles for the October 2017 Off-Piste is 6th October 2017.

2 P A G E 2 President s Piece (cont d) to ski to many interesting places. The 2017 Hoppet race has also been voted as one of the best ever and well done to all club members who competed. The August social meetings had interesting talks from club members about cross country skiing overseas. Margaret Mahoney, Sonja Weinberg and David Drohan shared their experiences about skiing in Norway, with David discussing the club trip he will lead there early next year (see tour program). At the next meeting, Lachlan Kennedy discussed his very recent backcountry ski trip in New Zealand (see his article in this newsletter). October Lodge Weekend The last CCCSC lodge weekend for the season. The October lodge weekend is a great way to farewell the ski season. Enjoy spring skiing while staying at a comfortable lodge in Charlotte Pass village, with easy access to Australia s highest peaks. Club members can book on line at the link below for one or both nights of Friday 13th & Saturday 14th October at $45.00 per person per night and $100 per night per family: The Register Now link to make bookings is: October Lodge Weekend Register Now Get out there and enjoy the spring snow! Jo-Anne Clancy New Kosciuszko Maps If you're wondering about what maps are useful for your BC trips in NSW, check out the new Sutmaps for the NSW Alps. They're tailored for recreational use and at a practical scale (1:40000). Printed on water resistent and tear proof paper they are a convenient pocket size. I used the Kosciuszko, previously available in paper or laminated by WildernessSports. There are now two more for touring further north. Map 1- Kosciuszko - Cascade/Thredbo to Gills Knob/ Guthega. Map 2- Schlink Pass - Perisher to Kerries/Rolling Grounds. Map 3- Jagungal - Bulls Peaks, Grey Mares to Round Mountain. Available at Wilderness Sports if you're interested and $14.95 each. Bruce Easton O F F P I S T E

3 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 3 Tour Report Four Mile Hut & Elaine Mine Saturday 12 August Four of us (Bill Stanhope, Tony Brown, John Giacon and myself) met at Adaminaby around 8:20am. After coffee and cherry pie we headed north, initially hoping to ski to Gooandra Hut on the plains north of Kiandra, but the snow cover wasn t good so we drove up to Mt Selwyn Resort to ski to Four Mile Hut instead. The weather was foggy, windy and cold. There looked to be a good cover of snow at Mt Selwyn and the surrounding area, around 20cm deep. We headed off at 9:50am and followed the pole line east of the resort across the plateau to the junction with the Tabletop Fire Trail. The snow was soft and heavy but easy to ski on, and the tailwind meant we didn t feel too cold. We then continued south down the hill to the saddle and into the valley that took us to Four Mile Hut. Just before arriving at the hut a basket from one of my ski poles came off in the snow and couldn t be found, meaning I had to ski the rest of the day with only one proper ski pole. It was foggy and cold at the hut. We arrived just after 11am and had morning tea inside. I was keen to visit the Elaine Mine area about 2km southeast of the hut. The mine was started in 1926 and in operation for around ten years, and was one of the last mining ventures on the Kiandra goldfields. As such, there is a lot of machinery still remaining in the area. We headed off at 11:45am and had to ski around and over the snow covered mullock heaps to get to the other side of Four Mile Creek. We eventually reached a huge hole in the ground which was the North Bloomfield sluice gully. From here we skiied across a creek gully and onto another spur which would lead us towards Elaine Mine. This area had less snow and was covered with fallen trees everywhere which made the going very slow. We skiied down to the bottom of the Bloomfield Creek valley hoping to see some mining remains, but nothing was visible. We continued south until we came across a huge pile of mining spoil blocking the valley, then above us Tony noticed the old portable steam engine which I had been aiming for. We climbed up to see the steam engine. As it was approaching 2pm we didn t have time to explore the area further so headed back to Four Mile Hut. To avoid the creek gullies we climbed higher up the ridge into the trees but numerous fallen trees still made the going slow and tiring. The weather started to brighten a bit as we neared the hut. We arrived back at the hut at 3pm for a very late lunch. A large group of NSW Nordic Ski Club members had arrived to camp at the hut so we ate lunch under the large tree close by, then headed off at 3:25pm for the return ski back to the Mt Selwyn resort. The final section across the plateau into the wind was foggy and cold. We arrived back just before 5pm in thick fog to an almost empty car park. We then drove back to Canberra dodging some kangaroos along the way. Overall a long, tiring day but a great trip and an interesting destination. Alan Levy Bill Stanhope, Tony Brown and John Giacon at the Tabletop Fire Trail junction. Photo: Alan Levy

4 P A G E 4 Tour Report Four Mile Hut & Elaine Mine: Saturday 12 August (cont d) Tony Brown arriving at Four Mile Hut. Photo: Alan Levy Tony Brown, Bill Stanhope and John Giacon inside Four Mile Hut. Photo: Alan Levy Portable steam engine remains near Elaine Mine. Photo: Alan Levy O F F P I S T E

5 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 5 Tour Report Four Mile Hut & Elaine Mine: Saturday 12 August (cont d) Alan Levy at Four Mile Hut. Photo: Tony Brown Four Mile Hut framed by the large gum beside the hut. Photo: Tony Brown Snowy Hydro snow depth comparison rd September 2017.

6 P A G E 6 Ski Touring in New Zealand Who said there is no ski touring country in New Zealand? After many years ski touring in Australia, myself and another thought it was time to give New Zealand it s chance to live down its reputation as being too steep for ski touring. Alpine Recreation s Rex Simpson Hut in the Two Thumbs Range near Tekapo looked like a likely place to start. The founders of Alpine Recreation, Gotleib Braun-Elvert and his wife Ann, built the hut in 1985 as a base for ski touring and walking in the Two Thumbs Range. It was originally located on land owned by the Mount Gerald station. But when the Department of Conservation (DOC) took over the management of the higher unproductive ground in the surrounding valleys from the farmers, it allowed Gotlieb to move his hut higher up the fore slope of the 2 Thumbs Range onto the DOC managed land, improving the views over Lake Tekapo. This generosity came with conditions. Since the four wheel drive track to Rex Simpson hut goes through tussock grass country with lots of drainage gullies, the DOC only allows Alpine Recreation to supply the hut once a year. On the appointed day a festive convey of local 4 wheel drive owners take their vehicles, loaded with all the non-perishable food, fuel, wine, and all the other supplies necessary for a year s operation, to the hut. These provisions are then available to guided groups visiting the hut. Why carry all that food on your back, if you can use the hut s provisions simply by hiring a guide? A guide who more over would keep us safe from avalanches, and navigate us through cloud and falling snow. For skiers more intrepid than us, you should know that it is possible to book the hut privately, but if you do so you have to carry in all your own food. From Tekapo, it is a 45 minute drive to the trail head car park, along the eastern shore of Lake Tekapo. Climbing up to Snake Ridge, with Rex Simpson Hut and Lake Tekapo in the background. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy O F F P I S T E

7 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 7 Ski Touring in New Zealand (cont d) The average time to walk and ski from the car park to the hut is around 4 hours. This is New Zealand, so the first thing you must do when you leave the car park is ford a small cold river. Be prepared to get your feet wet, so don t wear your ski boots. Then it s easy travelling along the 4 wheel drive track until you get to the snow line, where ever it may happen to be on the day. It s a happy moment when you take your skis off your pack and put them on your feet. The route is then a simple climb up the fall line, zig zagging when if it gets a bit too steep. All up, it is a steady 500 metre climb to the hut. Did I say easy travelling? Well yes it is, unless you break through the snow onto one of the scattered matagouri bushes dotting the lower slope of the valley. These are scrubby native shrubs up to about a metre high. They are ugly and most scientists agree that they are an evolutionary mistake. Matagouri bushes sport masses of 2 cm thorns on entangled branches. The snow settles on the thorny branches and quickly makes a thin elevated base through which a ski can suddenly break through, catapulting the skier into the thorn bush underneath. With care they can be avoided, but a warning, don t let your descent on the way back down get out of control. Rex Simpson hut sits on a wide bench created by the glacier that long ago carved out the wide Godley valley. The amount of ice that once filled this valley takes a little while to grasp. But evidence of old glaciation is everywhere, even 500 metres above the valley floor. On the way you will find yourself admiring the Liebig Range on the western side of the valley. This range is composed of a palisade of high snowy peaks separated by steep gullies. Beyond them and out of sight is the Cass River, more ranges, then Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook and the main divide. The Two Thumbs range on your side of the valley is lower, but still has a string of alpine peaks to admire. The lower part of the range on which you will ski are gentle and rolling. Looking south you see Lake Tekapo, and at night, the lights of Tekapo itself. For the views alone this must be amongst the best places just to be, let alone to go back country skiing. There is plenty of skiing around the hut, particularly on the slopes flanking Snake Ridge, which starts at the top of the 150m slope closest to the hut. There is more challenging ski moutaineering terrain further afield. If you are prepared to snow camp, there is as enough skiing terrain to do tours up to 5 days. Most people seem to enjoy the slopes near the hut by skinning up and skiing down. New Zealand ski touring Snake Ridge. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy

8 P A G E 8 Ski Touring in New Zealand (cont d) The snow pack can reach up to 2 metres, especially on wind loaded slopes, so you must be avalanche aware. We took avalanche transceivers, snow shovels and snow probes. But there are many slopes which have gradients much less than the 38 degrees at which gradient the avalanche risk peaks. The hut has every convenience so long as you don t want (or need) a shower, and you don t mind a pit toilet. And so long as you don t mind getting water from the spring which is about 200 metres from the hut. By the way, for worriers, the spring is far enough away and high enough above the pit toilet to give a person total confidence. The hut has a warm wood burning pot belly stove, and solar power for lighting. It also has two gas cookers. The kitchen/ dining room has 6 bunks. Rubbish, including compost, must be separated and carried out. There is a another separate unheated bunk room containing 6 bunks. Sleeping bags are provided by Alpine Recreation, but you must bring your own inner sheet and pillow slip. The kitchen - note the full length skins drying by the heater. Even for waxless skis, these are essential. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy At first, foggy weather confined our skiing to the slopes closest to the hut. But then a few sucker holes appeared. These are sunny breaks that encourage skiers to venture forth, only to leave them founding in white out as soon as they are out of site of the hut. Our guide built a snow cairn on the shoulder of Snake Ridge and took a bearing on the hut while he could, so that if we returned in white out we could ski up until we found the ridge, then ski along it till we found the cairn, and use the bearing to find the hut. We didn t need to use it, but it was nice to know there was a plan b. O F F P I S T E

9 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 9 Ski Touring in New Zealand (cont d) On the day we were leaving we encountered a kind of snow that we rarely get in Australia. A discrete pesky grey cloud had formed in the Godley Valley the previous afternoon. Drifting ever closer towards us, it finally whited us out as we descended the hut slope. In the flat light every attempted turn became a crash scene. But the cloud dropped a thin layer broken snow ( graupel snow) on the snow pack. Everything froze overnight, and the graupel snow crystals locked into each other and into the snow pack, forming a secure pavement for carving turns the next day the like of which we had never experienced. It was a blue bird day, and from Snake Ridge it was possible to see the summit ridge of Mt Cook and Elie de Beaumont. So if you ask me would I go back I would answer well, of course I will, but not until after I have been to Lady Emily Hut (google it). Lachlan Kennedy The bunks. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy

10 P A G E 10 Ski and Snow Photos Fog Banks on the Two Thumbs Range, New Zealand. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy Mare s Tail over the Liebig Range, Tekapo, New Zealand. Photo: Lachlan Kennedy Alan Levy, David Drohan and Carol Taylor at Mt Buffalo 20 Aug 17 Photo: Alan Levy O F F P I S T E

11 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 11 Ski and Snow Photos (cont d) Ice tree on The Horn at Mt Buffalo 20 Aug 17. Photo: Alan Levy David Drohan, Paul Room, Trish Woods, Carol Taylor, Bruce Porter, Andrew Porter, Gale Funston & Bev Porter in the Giants Playground at Mt Buffalo 24 Aug 17. Photo: Alan Levy David Drohan on top of the Table and Loaves rock formation at Mt Buffalo 24 Aug 17. Photo: Alan Levy

12 P A G E 12 Ski and Snow Photos (cont d) The three photos above were taken up around Guthega Trig on 9 August 2017 following the first Blizzard of Oz for this year. Most of the day was quite sunny but there were heavy black clouds rolling in over from Mount Tate occasionally. Photos: Tony Brown O F F P I S T E

13 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 13 Tour Report The Paralyser Circuit: 26 August 2017 Eight of us set out on a cracker winters morning from Guthega on somewhat icy snow. We had already negotiated the Jindabyne bottle neck (add at least half an hour) Paddy Palin's shop, and Joe's workshop cafe (add at least another half hour) and were going OK until John Carr snapped a ski stock in the first couple of hundred yards. This was duly splinted but doubtfully will become a fashion trend. It is always uplifting to ski this area which didn't suffer the 2003 fires, being protected by the back-burning that saved Guthega (just) and Perisher. We took a couple of breathers on the ascent and finally lunched on the summit. The whipped cream views to the Main Range were really something. Then began the descent down the ridge to the Farm Creek bridge. By that time the snow was beginning to soften making things more controllable. Half way down on one of our many regroups Greg Lawrence emphatically pronounced that there was more 'down' on the Paralyser circuit than 'up'. This would make it one of the queens of cross-country routes. We breathlessly regrouped above the bridge before the climb back to the car park arriving at just Funny thing though; we all felt we'd done quite enough! We were Robin Collins, Greg Lawrence, John Giacon, Ralph Gailis, John Carr, and from Jindabyne, Walter Berner, Rita Berner and Mike Hinchey. Mike Hinchey Rest stop on the ascent. From left Rita Berner, Mike Hinchey,John Carr, John Giacon, Walter Berner. Photo: Greg Lawrence Robin Collins and John Carr on the summit of the Paralyser. Photo: Greg Lawrence

14 P A G E 14 Tour Report The Paralyser Circuit: 26 August 2017 (cont d) Looking towards Guthega trig and the Rolling Grounds from the Paralyser. Photo: Greg Lawrence John Carr's fashionably modified ski stock. Back in the dream time a former member, Gil Pearce broke a ski stock early on in a 9 day trip. He cobbled together a splint of three split shards of green snow gum taped around the break and it took him through the trip. So successful was it that he continued to ski on his jury rigged pole for the following season. He was able to make a neater job of it than we did given time around the fire and a good pen knife but the principle's the same. I carry my spare tape wrapped around my stocks for such an occasion. Photo: Mike Hinchey On way to the summit of the Paralyser. Photo: Greg Lawrence O F F P I S T E

15 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 15 Tour Report The Paralyser Circuit: 26 August 2017 (cont d) Rest stop on the ascent- from left Robin Collins, Rita Berner, Mike Hinchey, John Carr, Walter Berner, John Giacon. Photo: Greg Lawrence Heading off after a rest; Rita Berner after the leaders. Photo: Greg Lawrence Rita Berner and John Giacon taking in the moment; the Paralyser 26 August. Photo: Greg Lawrence

16 P A G E Touring News As Tour Coordinator for this year my main aim is to have the best possible tour program available to members, in particular increasing the number of tours. I will be happy to receive proposed tours from members at any time, plus I will be chasing people to lead tours. The more tour leaders we have, the greater the variety of tours for members, plus it takes the burden off the usual tour leaders. David Drohan is assistant Tour Coordinator this year so also happy for members to provide proposed tours to David at any time. The Tour Program, containing tour leaders contact details, will be available in the Members Only section of the web site, in the Members version of the Off-Piste newsletter, and also on tour sheets put out at club social meetings where members can put down their names for tours or propose new tours. Between each monthly newsletter, additional tours will be advertised on the web site and/or by separate s to members. Non-members will also have access to the Tour Program (without tour leaders details) in the Tours page on the web site and on the Club Facebook page. The Club Facebook page has been popular for trip reports and photos and is a good way of seeing what the skiing conditions are like throughout the season. New tours proposed on Facebook will not be designated as formal club trips but people are welcome to propose tours here, and should be aware of the Club guidelines below. On the Club web site, the Info / Club Forms page contains the following forms and guidance that should assist tour leaders and participants: Advice for Tour Participants Advice for Tour Leaders Guide to Transport Costs Tour Intention Form Tour Details & Acknowledgement of Risks and Obligations Emergency Procedures Incident Report Medical Information & Emergency Contact Ski Tour Grading If anyone is interested in leading tours feel free to contact myself or David Drohan at any time with the details. Alan Levy Tour Coordinator O F F P I S T E

17 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 17 Ski Tour Program (2017) Date Tour Description Leader Sunday to Saturday, 3-9 September Saturday, 9 September Additional tours will be programmed and advertised in future editions of Off-Piste and in the members section of the web site. Mid-Week Skiing I am available for mid-week skiing during the season and would welcome people joining me for mid-week activities, including tours, resort skiing and skating on the trails. Hut Touring Multi-Day when the snow is good Intermediate-Advanced Skills Rolling-Hilly Terrain Long Distance People who wish to come on the Norway trip (see below) should come along on this trip. The idea is to get plans from what people want to do and then organise some dates. Guthega Lodge Week Intermediate Skills Hilly-Steep Terrain Medium Distance I am running my cross country week at the Australian Ski Club lodge at Guthega from 3rd September. Day trip tours from the lodge will be organised and will run Monday 4th to Saturday the 9th. Destinations will be determined on cover, snow conditions and weather. For medium levels of skiing ability and above. Cost is $90 per night, each room has its own ensuite, there are quality beds and NO bunks, self catering, your own fridge,etc. and bookings need to go through me. I can be contacted at the Guthega lodge during this week on People can also come along for a day tour from the Guthega ASC lodge. Just ring the night before on the lodge number ending in 96 for destination and departure time. Tate West Ridge Intermediate Skills Hilly-Rolling Terrain Medium Distance Start at Guthega, cross the dam wall and climb past Guthega Trig out to Consett Stephens Pass and on to Tate West Ridge, which provides great views of the Main Range and Geehi Valley. Saturday, 9 September Saturday, 16 September Not the Kosciusko Tour Intermediate Skills Rolling terrain Long Distance This tour will re-create the glory days of the Kosciuszko Tour ski race by following the original route from Thredbo to Perisher on the September date. The tour will involve a car shuffle and the purchase of a lift ticket at Thredbo and a Ski Tube ride from Perisher back to Bullocks Flat. Leave car(s) at Bullocks Flat, drive to Thredbo, catch the chairlift up to the top of Crackenback, then ski along the old Kosciuszko Tour route along the pole line and summit road to Charlotte Pass, then continue along the road to Perisher, before returning to the car(s) at Bullocks Flat. South Ramshead Area Intermediate Skills Rolling-Steep Terrain Medium Distance Starting from Dead Horse Gap, we will climb up to South Rams Head and take in the views. From here we ll tour the other Rams Heads before finishing the day with a long drop back down to the cars.

18 P A G E 18 Ski Tour Program (cont.) Date Tour Description Leader Saturday to Monday, 23 to 25 September Saturday & Sunday, 7 & 8 October Cruising down the Snowy River (Snowcamp) Intermediate Skills Hilly terrain Long distance Ski from Perisher to Charlotte Pass and on to Seaman's Hut area on Day 1. Snow camp near Seaman's Hut. On Day 2 there will be a day trip out on the Main Range. On Day 3, follow the Snowy River (starting on the north arm) down to Guthega - I recall some very pleasant and scenic landscapes when I did this a few years ago. Early start needed on Saturday to allow for transport logistics (placement of cars and requirement for drivers to use lift/skitube to get from Guthega back to Perisher; other participants can enjoy a leisurely morning coffee at Perisher) - so will look for either a very early departure from Canberra or (preferably) camping at Island Bend. Main Range Snowcamp Intermediate Skills Rolling & Hilly Terrain Medium Distance Start from Charlotte Pass and camp somewhere on the Main Range, either near Club Lake or towards Snowy Bridge. Spend the weekend exploring the surrounding area. Saturday & Sunday, 14 & 15 October Lodge Weekend at Charlotte Pass The Club will be holding an end of season lodge weekend at the Southern Alps Ski Club lodge at Charlotte Pass. Tours will be conducted on the Main Range or around Charlotte Pass on the weekend. Saturday, 14 October Little Austria Visit Intermediate Skills Rolling to Steep Terrain Medium Distance I did most of this tour at last year s October Lodge Weekend and enjoyed it so much that I want to do it again. Starting from Foreman s Crossing, we ll climb Carruthers Peak and then head out towards Little Austria. We might even make it this time. Return via Lake Albina and the long run down Mt Clarke. Random Days in October and November Main Range in Spring Intermediate Skills Gentle-Rolling-Steep Terrain Medium-Long Distance The ambition is to ski all over the upper Snowy River, visiting places from Rawson s Pass to Blue Lake and places in between. It will take several trips to do it all. I m looking for expressions of interest from anyone who also wants to do some or all of these trips. Please contact me if you are interested at all and we can try to work something out for trips. Saturday, 4 November Mt Townshend Visit Intermediate Skills Rolling Terrain Long Distance Catch the chairlift up Thredbo and head for Mt Townshend. Have lunch on the peak and return. This is the day of The Snowy Ride and I m relying on the Eagle s Nest Restuarant being open for us to get a ride down Thredbo. (I don t want to walk down it again if I can avoid it.) March 2018 Norway (Expression of Interest) Intermediate-Advanced Skills Rolling Terrain Long Distance One week skiing the tracks around Sjunjoen Lillehammer (no limit in numbers). Then head off for the Rondone Traverse for a week (limit of 4). If more are interested another leader will be required. O F F P I S T E

19 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 19 Ski Tour Gradings It is important that tour participants ensure that their abilities match the skill levels required by the tour a description of the Terrain, Distance and Skill Level descriptors is provided below and under Ski Tour Grading on the club s web-site. TERRAIN Rolling Flat to gently rolling hills, no big hills to climb or descend. There may be some steep sections but these will be short and easy to negotiate. Hilly Large rounded hills requiring several turns to descend but not technically difficult. There may be some steep sections but these will be short and easy to negotiate. Steep Steep skiable hills including black runs at resorts, cornices and chutes. Technically difficult slopes to descend. DISTANCE Short Under 8km/day and < 200m vertical climb. A moderate level of fitness is required. Medium 8km to 15km/day OR 200m to 600m vertical climb. A moderate level of fitness is required. Long Over 15km/day OR > 600m vertical climb. A high level of fitness is required. SKILL LEVELS Basic Can maintain control and perform the following skills on gentle terrain: kick turns, snow plough, side step, herringbone, traverse and diagonal stride. Intermediate Can maintain control and perform the following skills on hilly terrain: kick turns, snow plough turns, step turns, side slip, side step, herringbone, traverse, diagonal stride and self arrest. Advanced Can maintain pace over long distances. Has intermediate skills plus able to link stem, parallel or telemark turns. Tour Report Long Plain: 20 August 2017 Monika Binder, Ben Robey and I met at Adaminaby to decide just where in the Kiandra area was the place to go after the widespread snowfalls. Among my suggestions was Long Plain which I had last skied some 40 years ago. We piled in together to explore the possibilities and as Monica and I shared 'skiing the margins' disease, Ben the novitiate just got sucked in to the longest shot. I had some hair-brained Idea we might make Cooinbil homestead but after the first couple of hours I didn't relish the further 10k so we settled for lunch, fittingly at Starvation Creek. Post lunch we moved up the Spicers firetrail hoping to do a loop back to Long Plain but the timber deterred us into backtracking. Apart from the great sense of space you enjoy on Long Plain the frequent herds of wild horses made the easy skiing on windpacked snow on the road an interesting time. Monica detoured to Long Plain house on the way back but Ben and I felt we'd done enough by the time we'd covered 25km (according to Monica's rune stone) and got back to the car at Mike Hinchey

20 , I S S U E 5 P A G E 20 Tour Report Long Plain: 20 August 2017 (cont d) Ben Robey slogging away at his first 25km ski trip. Photo: Mike Hnchey Lunch stop at Starvation Creek. Photo: Mike Hnchey Wild horses were aplenty. Photo: Mike Hnchey

21 Canberra Cross Country Ski Club PO Box 6234, O Connor ACT 2602 Web: cccscinfo@gmail.com Club Committee Contacts Fun and fitness in the snow Position Name Phone President Jo-Anne Clancy cccscpresident@gmail.com Vice President Ian Turland cccscvicepresident@gmail.com Secretary Greg Lawrence cccscsecretary@gmail.com Treasurer Paul Room cccsctreasurer@gmail.com Membership Secretary Gale Funston / Niboddhri Ward cccscinfo@gmail.com Tour Coordinator Alan Levy / Dave Drohan cccsctours@gmail.com Kosciusko Tour Coordinator Rowan Christie cccscracing@gmail.com Meeting Coordinator Vacant cccscmeetings@gmail.com Newsletter Editor Tony Brown cccsceditor@gmail.com Webmaster Nick Reese cccscwebmaster@gmail.com Club Snow Camping Gear for hire The following gear which is owned by the Club is available for hire to Club members. These prices are cheap. The commercial hire charge for a 2-person tent is $45 per weekend. Tent (Macpac 3-4 person) -$20/weekend ; - $30/week Trangia stove - $3/weekend; - $5/week Club Safety Gear for use by Tour Leaders The Club has four Personal Locator Beacons (PLB), two GPS units and some first aid kits which are available free of charge to members leading Club ski tours. PLB (GME MT410G) Contact Alan Levy, Jo-Anne Clancy, Bruce Porter or Lachlan Kennedy.

22 P A G E 22 Social Meetings 2017 (All Welcome) Wednesday 13 Sept 2017 Shaping the Bush Capital Guest Speaker: Brett McNamara Join ACT Parks Brett McNamara as he explores the historical link that has shaped the bush capital from mountain surveyors to crystal clear, naturally pure mountain water". Wednesday 27 August 2017 AGM Election of New Committee for This is where you can put your hand up to be a part of running the Club. Meetings are held at the Hughes Community Centre, Hughes Place, Hughes, Canberra, Canberra on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month from mid May to October. Door opens at 7.30 pm for 7.45 pm start. Light refreshments will be provided.

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